Panama City leaders urging FEMA to extend direct housing program deadline

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - This week, Panama City leaders agreed to extend the timeframe people can live in trailers on private property. Panama City Community Development and Redevelopment Director Michael Johnson said several local storm victims still face challenges and need more time to recover from Hurricane Michael.

“Many individuals are still fighting with their insurance companies, they haven’t received their insurance proceeds,” said Johnson. “There’s not that many contractors as there once was at the onset of the storm.”

Johnson said many are also having trouble getting housing assistance.

“People could not get FEMA assistance or SBA assistance because they couldn’t verify ownership of the property because most of it was air property,” said Johnson.

Johnson also said many repairs to housing options damaged by the storm and new housing developments have not been completed.

“There is at least 1,200 apartment units that are still not back online,” said Johnson. “A lot of people who were displaced as a result of the storm can’t go back into any of the multi-family housing because it’s not fixed yet.”

Johnson said they’re hoping their actions push FEMA to extend its deadline for the direct housing program so local storm victims like Shareeq Thomas, who lives at a FEMA trailer site, can have more time to get back on their feet.

“Obviously they should because of lack of employment and other things like income,” said Thomas.

Thomas said the cost of rent has gone up since the storm and now jobs are limited due to the pandemic. He said it seems like a helpless situation.

“I’ve been in the FEMA trailer almost one year now. I’ve been looking for a place, but you can have a job but you still can’t make enough due to the pandemic,” said Thomas.

Johnson said the temporary housing was only supposed to last until October 11, but city leaders have extended the deadline until April of next year.

He said earlier this month the city sent a letter to FEMA officials asking to extend their deadline for FEMA trailers until April as well.

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